While many people forget about the center position NFL teams will not as many centers around the NFL are getting older and the will soon need to be replaced. This year’s crop of centers has a lot of potential and is pretty deep at the top. There are a few who should go in the first five rounds of the 2009 NFL Draft with some of them quite possibly having All-Pro careers in the future.
The following is a look at the top five centers in the 2009 NFL Draft heading into the Pro Day schedule.
1. Alex Mack-California-It’s hard to find anyone who doesn’t agree that Mack isn’t going to be the best center in this draft. He left the combine weighing 311 pounds and measured out to be 6’3” (but didn’t run the 40 or do any other combine drills) and appears to be just the right height and weight for the position. Mack plays a very physical game and brings a lot of strength and savvy to the position. He works very hard at all times both on and off the field and is a very reliable player. The downside to Mack is that he may have to play guard and/or center when he comes in the NFL (and depending on what team decides they want to with him) and he may have a big of a learning curve as a result of this. He will also have to work on his moves in order to help keep enemy pass rushers at bay because of the speed and quickness these guys in the NFL possess.
Mack is the top rated center in the 2009 NFL Draft and there is really no one who can unseat him at that position right now. He needs to show that he can also play guard which he should be able to and that will raise his stock with NFL teams. Look for Mack to be a sure fire early second rounder who could possibly garner enough interest to crack the first round.
2. Max Unger-Oregon-Unger comes in as the second rated player at the center position and should be someone who is sought after by several teams going into the 2009 NFL Draft. The first thing that you will notice about Unger is his athleticism and ability to play both the center and tackle position. He has the size to play both positions (at the combine he came in at 6’4”5/8 and weighed 309 pounds. He ran the 40 in 5.30 seconds and had 22 reps on the bench) and the athletic ability to play them both as well. He can move well and is a hard worker both on and off the field. Unger uses his athletic ability and bevy of moves (and solid mechanics) and doesn’t quite have the power that would be ideal for the position. He is also a little bit smallish and needs to add some additional weight.
Unger is showing NFL scouts that he is a fine prospect with much more upside than anything else and could leap Mack as the best center in the draft. He is a second round talent for sure and should get selected somewhere in the middle of that round.
3. Eric Wood-Louisville-If you want someone with a lot of upside, then Wood is your man. Wood is the player with the most potential in this top five and could turn out to be the best out of the group depending on what team decides to take him in the 2009 NFL Draft. On top of anything, Wood is someone who plays with a lot aggressive tendencies and is somewhat of a mauler. He has a great attitude and loves playing the game. He seemingly makes all the blocks and has the size that you would like to see (at the combine he came in at 6’3 7/8” weighing 310 pounds and ran a 5.23 40 benching 225 pounds 30 times) in a center. However, he isn’t as athletic as some scouts might like and he doesn’t have a powerful initial punch that some would like to see. He can move but not very well.
Wood needs to get a little bit stronger and show that he can improve his game just a little bit more to improve his draft stock. He is going to get drafted for sure and could go as high as the lower part of the second to the early third round of the 2009 NFL Draft.
4. Antoine Caldwell-Alabama-Caldwell is still another fine prospect that some people think may be the number two rated center in the draft but due to his size he does drop off a bit and sits at number four for right now. Measuring out at 6’3 ¼” and 309 pounds running a 5.23 40 while benching 225 24 times, Caldwell is close to being the near ideal size for his position. He has a ton of talent and is tough and plays that way 100% of the time. He can block on the move and can also play the guard position which could help out his draft stock a lot. The downside to Caldwell is that he isn’t the biggest guy for the position and needs to work on keeping defenders off the ball. Adding some strength would be a big plus for Caldwell as well.
Providing that he works out well in the coming weeks, Caldwell should be a player that many NFL teams keep on their radar in the 2009 NFL Draft. The need for center is much more apparent than some think so having a player like Caldwell on any team could be a huge benefit.
5. Jonathan Luigs-Arkansas-Coming in at number five is a player who has turned a few heads heading into the 2008 NFL Draft and could have a future as a solid player in the league. Luigs is a physical player who isn’t afraid to use his body well to block. His size (6’35/8”, 301) isn’t too bad and his speed (5.14/40 at the combine) isn’t too bad either. He is also a big time run blocker who excels well at driving the defender down the field on running plays. The downside to Luigs is that he isn’t the greatest athlete and does have some problems trying to outmuscle more powerful defenders. He is tough and does have a mean streak and he can play the position well he just needs to get stronger.
Luigs is going to turn some heads during the next few weeks as he garners a lot of attention for his skill. However, he lacks the idea l strength that someone would like to see in the ideal center and unless he picks up a lot of strength at some point and shows the scouts that he is much better than they have him right now. Look for Luigs to go somewhere between the late fourth to early sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft.
By Bryan Dietzler
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